


Under the rubble

by Thighz



Series: Reaper 76 Week [5]
Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Blood, Heart-to-Heart, Injury, M/M, Omnic Crisis, Pre-Relationship, Reaper76 Week, Reaper76Week 2018, War
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-15
Updated: 2018-01-15
Packaged: 2019-03-05 08:05:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,071
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13383642
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Thighz/pseuds/Thighz
Summary: Jack and Gabe have a little heart-to-heart while trapped in a building.





	Under the rubble

**Author's Note:**

> For Day One of the 2018 Reaper76 Week!
> 
> You can now find artwork for this on [Tumblr](http://infinite-atmosphere.tumblr.com/post/170050132761/reaper76-week-2k18-day-one-war-buddies) and [Twitter](https://twitter.com/jockstrap76/status/955869656430063621)!
> 
>  
> 
> _Enjoy_

 

 

 

 

 

 

The explosion rocks the building they’re holed up inside. Concrete crumbles off the walls and sheetrock dust flutters down from the ceiling. It smells like gunpowder and blood, the salt of sweat on skin and the stink of five days without a proper shower.

Jack glances over at Gabriel, who is wrapping a bleeding cut on his left bicep. His uniform sleeve is nothing but a tattered, bloody mess and there’s streaks of dirt over his cheeks and across his forehead. His beanie is covered in the dust from above and after he ties off the makeshift bandage, he pulls it off his head and grimaces. With a quick twist between his palms, rainwater and sweat drip from the black material and Jack barks out a laugh.

“Ha. Ha. Morrison.” Gabriel yanks the floppy, wet fabric over his quickly growing head of curls, “Anything from base?”

Jack shakes his head, “Not even white noise. Pretty sure the satellite's down.”

“Another hack?” Gabriel drops his arms over the bend of his knees, “We should switch back to those old fashioned radios.”

Jack lifts an eyebrow, “Walkie-talkies, really?”

Gabe shrugs the shoulder attached to the injured arm, “Wouldn’t hurt to try.”

“Those things would be useless in a war of this scale.” Jack frowns, “Some of them don’t get more than thirty miles in distance. We have units all over the country.”

Gabe drops his head against the wall and sighs. The exhaustion shows on his face, in the way his shoulders droop the longer his sits. No doubt Jack looks just as bad as he does, but Gabe’s been the one leading them through his mess. They’re all that’s left of the unit in this sector and Gabe looks every inch the leader worn down by duty, by the loss of good soldiers.

“We’re going to make it out of here.” Jack promises.

Gabe’s gaze locks with his own, “You sure about that, Jack?” He flicks his wrist at the state of the building they’re in. Bombs are going off outside, screams follow them, the whirling screech of machines are around every corner.

“They didn’t pump us full of chemicals for nothing.” Jack snorts, walking across the room and dropping down beside him.

“Bout the only thing we have going for us.” Gabe mumbles.

Jack scowls, “You think they picked you to lead us because what - you’re a shit soldier?”

Gabe sends him a sidelong look, “They picked me because this war isn’t by the book type shit. I run loose with the rules and they knew I’d made the hard calls, sacrifice the right people, and win at any cost.”

Jack drops his gaze down to his hands. They’re dirty and his palms are red from handling guns, knives, grenades. Rescuing people from rubble has his forearms scraped raw and every part of his body stings. But he’s not tired. Gabe isn’t either, for all his slumped form and closed eyes.

He knows they have to get up soon. They have to make the long, wet trek in the vague direction of the main base and regroup. Gabe will have to look their CO in the eyes and tell them exactly how many soldiers died under his command and how they died. Then he’ll have to sign every letter mailed off to the families. 

Then they’ll be sent out with a new squad.

Jack swallows thickly and looks over at Gabe again, “You think they’ll separate us?”

“I’ll tell them to go fuck themselves if they try.” Gabe grunts, “You go where I go.”

Jack drops his head to hide the grin that breaks across his face. The world is falling apart around them, but he’s never been so glad to have Gabriel as his best friend. There’s no one else he’d rather fight or die beside.

“You got any plans when this shitstorm is over?”

Jack turns his head. Gabe is watching him from under the hood of his eyelids, he’s still slouched, forearms over his knees, boots muddy and turned out.

“Not really?” Jack admits, “Never really planned to last as long as I have.” He’s too goddamn trigger happy and jumps headfirst into danger without thinking. Gabe’s hand wrapped around his proverbial collar is the only self-control he has and is the only reason he’s still alive right now.

Gabe smirks, “Wanna get dinner?”

Jack’s heart stutters and the back of his neck flushes with heat, “You mean -” He squints, “Like a date?”

“Exactly like a date.” A grin replaces the smirk.

Jack swallows and tries not to show too much excitement. He doesn't need Gabe to know he’s been daydreaming about this exact scenario since they shook hands during the SEP. (Minus the war and bloodshed and crumbling buildings)

“I didn’t know you were interested.” Jack clears his throat, tries to act nonchalant.

“Morrison, I’ve been thinking about kissing you since you opened that smart-ass trap of yours.” Gabe lifts his head, “I’m not dying in this hellhole without asking at least once.” His eyes drift around the ruined building, “Figured now was as good a time as any.”

Jack smiles, slow and sure, “I like burgers.”

Gabe pauses for second before barking out a laugh, “You  _ would _ be an easy date. Burgers. Fries. Drive through movie, Jack?”

Jack laughs too and leans back against the wall, causing their shoulders to brush, “I’m a simple man with simple tastes.”

Their laughter peters off after a few minutes and Gabe lets out a huff of a sigh, “Does that mean I have to wait to walk you home before you’ll give me that kiss?”

Jack turns his head to the side and his eyes drop to Gabe’s mouth. Plush and smeared with dirt, split on the left side. He wants that kiss. So bad. So  _ goddamn _ bad, he’s been dreaming about it for months. What he’d taste like, what he’d sound like, how he’d touch Jack while it happened.

But it’s the wrong time. The wrong place. He knows if he gets one taste, he’ll beg for more and as tempting a thought it is to forget the war and get lost in Gabe’s kisses, he can’t. They haven’t won yet.

“It’ll give you something to look forward to.” Jack lifts his gaze back to Gabe’s.

Gabe’s smile is half drunk on happiness and his eyes crinkle at the corner, “Then let’s go win us a war.”

 

 

  
  


End

 


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